Watercraft



Dec. 27, 1966 5, w, c um 3,294,055

WATERCRAFT 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1965 INVENTOR. SHELY W. MGUIRE Dec. 27, 1966 w. MCGUIR: 3,294,055

WATERCRAFT Filed Jan. 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

a FIG. 6

INVENTOR.

SHELY w. M U/f? F/6.7 BY 6 E United States Patent 3,294,055 WATERCRAFTShely W. McGuire, 2355 Olivia Ave., Yuma, Ariz. 85364 Filed Jan. 15,1965, Ser. No. 425,804 12 Claims. (Cl. 11570) My invention relates to awatercraft, and more particularly of a pontoon type provided withhydrofoils for leaning the craft in the manner of a motorcycle.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a watercraft on whichthe operator can easily maintain balance even while negotiating sharpturns at high speeds in rough water.

A further object is to provide such a watercraft which floats whilestationary and which will partially rise out of the water when inmotion.

A further object is to provide a watercraft which is self-propelled by aconventional outboard motor.

A further object is to provide such a craft which is safe andentertaining to persons of all ages or agility.

A further object is to provide all the advantages of a motorcycle to awatercraft.

A still further object is to provide a watercraft which is easy andinexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds taken in connection withthe accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view of the horizontal member.

FIGURE 2 is a view from the rear of the craft.

FIGURE 3 is a detail of the hinge arrangement between the horizontalmember and the body member.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the craft.

FIGURE 5 is a detail showing the operation of the steering mechanism.

FIGURE 6 is a detail of the steering arrangement.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view showing the steering arrangement with theframework of the body member.

It is to be understood that the specific drawing illustrations providedare supplied primarily to comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112and that the invention is susceptible to other embodiments that will beobvious to those skilled in the art. Consequently the appended claimsare to be construed as broadly as the relevant prior art will permit.

Referring to the drawing showing the preferred structure and in whichlike numbers represent like parts the number 1 represents a horizontalmember which is substantially triangular in shape. It and other parts ofthe craft may be formed of solid material or may be a framework coveredby suitable materials. Suitable materials for construction of the craftare those which combine strength, lightness, economy and reistence toweather and water. Specific materials may include marine woods; certainplastics, for example fiberglass and certain metals, especially thosecommonly used for aircraft such as aluminum and magnesium alloys. Suchmember is of sufficient size to function as a stand platform for therider of the craft. It is preferably recessed in the mid area on therear side thereof to have secured thereto propulsion means 4. Suchpropulsion means is preferably a conventional outboard motor. Member 1at all times remains on a substantially parallel spaced plane with thesurface of the water. Two rear stabilizer portions 2 are formed on eachside of motor 4.

Along the mid-section of member 1 is mounted a center body member 10. Itis operatively associated with the horizontal member at substantiallyright angles thereto. Hinge means 13 and 14 are bolts or pins permitting3,294,055 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 the angle between the horizontal memberand the body member to be varied by the rider.

A seat 5 is mounted on the body member and manual controls 6, preferablyhandlebars, are positioned for easy reach by a person occupying theseat. The lower front portion of the body member is bullet shaped and ishollowed out to serve as a pontoon in which the front part of the craftfloats when it is at rest. It also serves as a housing for part of thesteering mechanism as shown in FIG. 7. The pontoon is integral with thebody. Said body portion may serve as a housing for preferably metalframing 30 and 3-3 which functions as support members.

A plurality of water contacting means, preferably two in number areprovided in the rear extremity of horizontal member 1 in outriggerfashion. Said means are preferably eliptical shaped pontoons 3 withhydrofoils 7 associated therewith.

The hydrofoils are preferably made to tilt in unison with the bodyportion by transverse connecting rod 9 and vertical rod 32 whichoperatively join the body member with the hydrofoil. Rod 9 may betubular or solid and preferably has an orifice at the mid-point thereofto operatively engage bolt 34. Bolt 34 is formed as an extension offrame 33.

A frontal water contacting means 8 is preferably single as illustrated.It comprises the pontoon portion 15 of the body and hydrofoil 8 inassociation therewith.

A unique steering mechanism and arrangement is achieved by asubstantially vertical steering column with upper section 16 secured tohandlebar 6 and lower section 21 partially connected thereon by couplingarm 20. A D-shaped guide member 17 surrounds the upper portion of thesteering column as shown in FIG. 6. The arcuate portion 27 thereof has atrack portion for guide follower 26 mounted therein. Said follower isintegral with U-shaped connecting member 18 which is mounted on column16 by connecting bar and pins 24 at the ends thereof. Linkage 11connects the D-shaped member to the horizontal member as dual simpleconnecting rods with pins or axles 12 at the lower end thereof and pin31 at the upper end thereof. Upper frontal connecting rod 19 is anteriorto the upper section of the steering column 16 and parallel to it. It ispreferably a simple connecting rod connected by pin 25 to the U-shapedmember at the upper end and by pin 28 to the coupling arm at the lowerend. A lower frontal connecting rod 22 is parallel to lower columnsection 21 and anterior thereto. It is connected to the coupling arm 20by .pin 29 with the opposite end pivotally connected to hydrofoil 8 asshown.

The operation of the device is a follows:

Rider places feet on member 1 and uses seat and handlebars in obviousmanner. If a turn is made riders weight is substantially on both feetwhereby member 1 remains parallel to the surface of the water 23 shownin FIG. 5. By manual force the rider tilts the entire craft, member 1and attached pontoons 3 excepted. In this manner of placing ridersweight on his feet and turning and tilting the handlebars I have createdthe motorcycle turn on water.

Thusly body member 10 is at an angle other than degrees with member 1.Because of the connecting links rear hydrofoils 7 are in parallel unisonwith each other and form the same angle with the water as member 10.Even though steering mechanism turns, front hydrofoil 8 will tiltcorrespondingly with the rear hydrofoils and the craft will lean tooppose centrifugal force.

Although preferred embodiments of the device are as illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that further modifications and changesin the details of construction that may be resorted to will fall withinthe scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a steering mechanism for watercraft:

(1 a substantially vertical steering column,

(2) manual controls secured to the upper end thereof,

(3) water contacting means secured at the opposite end thereof,

(4) a D-shaped guide member surrounding said column,

(5) a substantially horizontal member,

(6) linkage connecting the D-shaped member to the horizontal memberwhereby said members are in fixed parallel space relationship,

(7) a support member in operative engagement with the guide member,

(8) a tract portion provided in the guide member,

,(9) a follower operatively mounted in said tract portion,

(10) a U-shaped connecting member to which the follower is affixed atthe mid-outer surface of its arcuate portion,

(11) a bar mounted on the steering column at right angles thereto andpivotally connected at the ends thereof to the ends of the U-shapedconnecting member,

(12) a coupling arm pivotally secured to lower extremity of steeringcolumn,

(13) an upper frontal connecting rod pivotally connecting the couplingarm to the U-shaped member,

(14) a frontal water contacting means,

(15 a lower frontal connecting rod pivotally engaging the coupling armto the frontal water contacting means.

2. A watercraft comprising a substantially disposed horizontal member, abody member supported by said horizontal member, hinge means operativelysecuring the horizontal member to the body member, said horizontalmember having forward and rear end portions, water contacting means atsaid forward and rear end portions, steering means for guiding thewatercraft, first coupling means connecting the water contacting meansat said rear end portion to said body member for movement about asubstantially horizontal axis, and second coupling connecting the watercontacting means at said forward end portion to said body member throughsaid steering means for movement of the water contacting means at .saidforward end portion in planes angularly related to said body member.

3. The watercraft as defined in claim 2 wherein said second couplingmeans is effective for producing pivotal movement of the watercontacting means at said forward end portion about an axis disposed in ahorizontal plane.

4. The watercraft as defined in claim 2 wherein said second couplingmeans is effective for producing turning movement of the watercontacting means at said forward end portion in a generally horizontalplane.

5. The watercraft as defined in claim 2 wherein said second couplingmeans is effective for producing movement of the water contacting meansat said forward end portion in forward and rearward directions relativeto said body member.

6. The watercraft as defined in claim 2 wherein said second couplingmeans is effective for producing both turning movement of the watercontacting means at said forward end portion in a generally horizontalplane and pivotal movement of said last-mentioned water contacting meansabout an axis disposed in a horizontal plane.

7. The watercraft as defined in claim 2 wherein the water contactingmeans at said rear end portion is floatation means immovably fixedlysecured to opposite longitudinal sides of said horizontal member.

8. The watercraft as defined in claim 2 wherein said water contactingmeans at said forward end portion is disposed beneath said horizontalmember, and said steering means passes through said forward end portion.

9. The watercraft as defined in claim 2 wherein said steering meansincludes a generally upstanding steering column, means pivotallymounting said steering column to said horizontal member, steering membermeans articulately coupling said steering member to said steeringcolumn, and means articulately coupling said steering member to saidwater contacting means at said forward end portion.

10. The watercraft as defined in claim 9 wherein said first-mentionedarticulate coupling means includes first and second cooperative meansdefined by said steering member and said steering column, one of saidcooperative means being a generally curved track, and the other of saidcooperative means being a follower guided by said curved track.

11. A watercraft comprising means for supporting an occupant, saidsupporting means having forward and rear portions, water contactinghydrofoil means at one of said portions, steering means for guiding thewatercraft, and coupling means connecting said steering means to saidhydrofoil means for movement of the latter-mentioned means in (1) agenerally horizontal plane, (2) in directions forwardly and rearwardlyrelative to said supporting means, and (3) for pivotal movement in avertical plane.

12. The watecraft as defined in claim 11 including a body member, hingemeans operatively securing the supporting means to said body member,additional hydrofoil means, and means coupling said first-mentionedhydrofoil means to said additional hydrofoil means through said bodymember.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,748,400 6/1956Kregall 11466.5 2,840,832 7/1958 Fried l1570 3,125,982 3/1964 Mullenaxl15-70 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ANDREW H. FARRELL, Examiner.

1. IN A STEERING MECHANISM FOR WATERCRAFT: (1) A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALSTEERING COLUMN, (2) MANUAL CONTROLS SECURED TO THE UPPER END THEREOF,(3) WATER CONTACTING MEANS SECURED AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF, (4) AD-SHAPED GUIDE MEMBER SURROUNDING SAID COLUMN, (5) A SUBSTANTIALLYHORIZONTAL MEMBER, (6) LINKAGE CONNECTING THE D-SHAPED MEMBER TO THEHORIZONTAL MEMBER WHEREBY SAID MEMBERS ARE IN FIXED PARALLEL SPACERELATIONSHIP, (7) A SUPPORT MEMBER IN OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THEGUIDE MEMBER, (8) A TRACT PORTION PROVIDED IN THE GUIDE MEMBER, (9) AFOLLOWER OPERATIVELY MOUNTED IN SAID TRACT PORTION, (10) A U-SHAPEDCONNECTING MEMBER TO WHICH THE FOLLOWER IS AFFIXED AT THE MID-OUTERSURFACE OF ITS ARCUATE PORTION, (11) A BAR MOUNTED ON THE STEERINGCOLUMN AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT THE ENDSTHEREOF TO THE ENDS OF THE U-SHAPED CONNECTING MEMBER, (12) A COUPLINGARM PIVOTALLY SECURED TO LOWER EXTREMITY OF STEERING COLUMN, (13) ANUPPER FRONTAL CONNECTING ROD PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE COUPLING ARM TOTHE U-SHAPED MEMBER, (14) A FRONTAL WATER CONTACTING MEEANS, (15) ALOWER FRONTAL CONNECTING ROD PIVOTALLY ENGAGING THE COUPLING ARM TO THEFRONTAL WATER CONTACTING MEANS.